GTFOplan

IN THIS VIDEO:
We left Woburn Bay—also known as Clarkes Court, Grenada… or as some cruisers like to call it, “Warranty Bay” or “Claims Court.” From there, we set off on an overnight passage to Fort-de-France, Martinique, hoping to arrive in time for their epic annual Carnival celebration.

We made it! And we were stoked to be joined by our friends Mia and Ted from SV Serengeti—friends we first met over a year ago in Hout Bay while we were deep in boat prep mode.

Once anchored, we ran into a familiar issue: that annoying grinding sound when the metal thimble on the bridle rubs against the metal bracket on the boat. It kept us up at night. Dennis came up with the idea to add some padding, and Ann grabbed some leftover webbing from an old project, stitched on some Velcro, and Dennis installed it on the bridle eye. A few nights later—total silence. Problem solved.

Ann also took care of a tear in one of our cockpit cushions, showing off her sewing skills once again.

The rest of our time in Martinique was a much-needed break. We soaked in the local Carnival scene for three straight days—vibrant costumes, nonstop parades, and an electric atmosphere that felt like a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Fort-de-France is the capital of Martinique, a former French colony that became a French overseas department back in 1946. After an unforgettable few days, we started prepping for our next sail—heading south to Saint Lucia.

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ABOUT OUR CATAMARAN:
We love our new Balance 482 - it's a perfect size for a cruising couple to handle and is a great "balance" of performance and comfort. One of our favorite features is the excellent ventilation since we mostly live as "hookers" (aka at anchor) where the boat automatically turns into the wind so we stay cool and we don't need to battle mold. We also have starlink for easy off-grid life. Our 2400 watt solar panel array also means we rarely need to run an engine to charge our batteries.

ABOUT US:
We saved for a our future boat, sold everything that we owned, and shipped the rest in a container to Cape Town, South Africa. We then flew there and explored South Africa by way of a safari and touring Cape Town before moving aboard our boat. We then sailed to Saint Helena, Ascension Island, Fernando de Naronha (Brazil), Martinique, Sint Maarten (Dutch and French side), the US Virgin Islands (Saint Croix, Saint John, and Saint Thomas), the British Virgin Islands (Anegada, Norman Island, Jost van Dyke, and Anegada), The Bahamas (Inagua, Crooked Island, Long Island, George Town, Staniel Cay, the Exumas, and Eleuthera). We then sailed back to the United States, making landfall in Cape Canaveral, Florida. From there our destinations are endless!

Both Dennis and Ann grew up military brats with Army fathers. Dennis (the Colonel) served 30 years in the US Army and his retirement pension helped us retire in our 50s. Ann (the ship's Captain) wrote Test Automation in Python and Java. Dennis and Ann met on Match.com where Ann had in her profile "Do you want to sail the world with me?"

Ann easily brought Dennis into sailing, and he loved the GTFOplan of retiring early and sailing the world. After many years of saving, living on one income but earning two, and cutting back on everything possible, they saved enough to buy a Balance 482.

Follow them as they get real about boat life and all the hassles of buying a new boat because we all know N.E.W. means Not Everything Works.

Kisses,
Ann & Dennis

Twitter: @GTFOplan
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